ONU FALLS IN THE CCAC SEMIFINALS TO IUSB TO END SEASON

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Olivet Nazarene University women's volleyball team concluded their 2021 season falling to the Titans of Indiana University- South Bend in four sets at the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Semifinals at the Student Activities Center on Thursday night. 

The Tigers took the early 5-3 lead after Becca Bell notched a pair of kills and Janelle Skinner sent over a service ace.  The two teams played in a back-and-forth affair until the Titans took over the set.  After Katarina Nikolic tied the match at 17 all, the Titans went on a 6-0 scoring run broken up by Carleigh Johnson.  The Tigers ended up falling in the first set, 25-20. 

The Tigers took an early 4-3 lead after kills by Bell and Johnson.  IUSB then took the lead at 6-4.  Down 8-7, the Tigers saw kills from Kaitlyn Kolb and Rachel Newport as well as a service ace from Johnson to take an 11-8 lead.  The two teams battled and played a very close middle of the set until the Tigers turned the tide.  Tied at 16, kills by Kaitlyn McMahan, Kolb, and Johnson pulled the Tigers ahead, 20-16. With the Tigers closing in on the second set victory, the Titans struck back to mark three of the final four points.  However, the Tigers held on for the set victory at 25-23. 

The beginning of the third set was all Titans as they notched 13 of the first 15 points.  The Tigers then tried to fight back winning six of the next eight points making the score 15-8.  Johnson, Newport, and Nikolic all notched kills during that stretch.  Later in the set, with IUSB up 20- 14, Kolb sparked a 7-2 run to cut the Titan deficit to one at 22-21.  Unfortunately, the Titans marked three more points and edged out the Tigers, 25-23, in the third set.

Kolb kicked off the scoring for the Tigers in the fourth set.  With the Tigers up 5-3, IUSB went on a 9-2 run and took a 12-7 lead.  From there, the Titans controlled the rest of the set as they never let the Tigers close the gap. 

The Titans scored four of the final five points as they won the fourth set, 25-19, and took the match, 3-1. 

MATCH VITALS

Finals: First Set: IUSB 25, ONU 20 | Second Set: ONU 25, IUSB 23 | Third Set: IUSB 25, ONU 23 | Fourth Set: IUSB 25, ONU 19

Records: IUSB: 22-6 | Olivet Nazarene: 19-10

Location: Student Activities Center | Indiana University- South Bend | South Bend, Ind.

QUICK HITS

• Nikolic led the Tigers with 15 kills. 
• Bell followed with 13 and Johnson had 11 kills. 
• McMahan led the Tigers with 30 digs and Nikolic followed with 17 digs. 
• Skinner amassed her second straight match of 50+ assists with 52. 

--ONU—

*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu